


Our Love, Lost Over Time

by bigwolfpup



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Assassin's Creed, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assassination, Blood and Gore, Bottom Obi-Wan Kenobi, Developing Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Lemon, M/M, Major Character Injury, Original Character(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Siege of Baghdad, Smut, Top Anakin Skywalker, a happy ending you will not find, ahsoka is also a human, basically all alien characters a humans in this fic, mentioned human trafficking, obikin, yoda is a human and talks normally you're welcome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 03:38:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12424278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigwolfpup/pseuds/bigwolfpup
Summary: Anakin Skywalker discovers his family history ties back to the infamous assassins active during much of the world's history. The only bad thing is that he finds this out through his kidnapping and forced exploration through his ancestor's memories.Ra'id is an assassin stationed in Baghdad in the 13th century. He has been informed of a possible Mongol invasion and is told to prepare and hunt down any men who are spies for the Mongols. While on his missions, Ra'id meets another assassin who goes by the simple name Ben, a cover up for his true identity as Obi-Wan Kenobi, who is a wanted man. Ra'id falls in love with Obi, as he affectionately calls the red head man, and they take Baghdad by storm as the approaching invasion grows ever closer.But is it really Ra'id who loves Obi? Or is it Anakin?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic will not have egular updates, though I will try to release a couple chapters at a time within a week or two of each other.
> 
> I know the absolute bare minimum of the Siege of Baghdad, so bear with me please yall. (；´∀｀)

Rough hands grabbed him while he wasn’t paying any attention to them. They grabbed him, they shoved him to the ground, they cuffed his hands behind his back before he even had a chance to respond and attack. All this trouble to contain him, and yet he didn’t know why. He was a low-class citizen. He knew nothing that would be of any interest to people who were higher up in society than him.

Still, there he was on the cold concrete of his mechanic shop, hands being pulled back until his shoulder blades ached, and wondering why the hell these men in suits were fixing him up to be an escaped convict.

He struggled for a bit, screaming and shouting until a fist connected with the side of his skull and knocked his lights out.

 

-x-x-x-

 

He woke up with a foggy mind, not entirely all there with bits and pieces of his mind anchoring to the present while others anchored to the past. He didn’t see clearly either, but he could tell there was something bright right in front of him. He tried to cover his eyes to block out the light, but his hands would not move. No part of his body would move. He was simply floating, or at least he felt like he was floating. He also felt that part of his mind was not his, but rather belonging to someone who lived long before him.

Voices filled his head, voices speaking in different languages. He couldn’t understand all of them, but there were a few he could barely make out spoken in English.

_“He has come to destroy us.”_

_“Don’t let him influence your performance.”_

_“No one can save him now.”_

He groaned, tossing his head to the side as he tried to stretch out. Instead he was met with more restriction. So much for stretching. He was as restricted as a caged animal.

Darkness overtook his mind once more, this time not by a fist to the temple. His mind simply couldn’t concentrate on the moment any more, letting him fall deep into unconsciousness as he tried to make sense of everything. Why was he, Anakin Skywalker, a simple mechanic running his own shop, a person of interest to the suited men?

Last time he checked, he hadn’t gotten in trouble with the feds recently.

 

-x-x-x-

 

“Can you pull him out?”

“I’m trying, Doctor. He’s very unstable right now. His mind is only just now connecting properly to the memories. I don’t think it’s safe to just yank him out of the Animus right now.”

The man sighed, running a hand though his greying hair. “How much longer does he have to stay in? He’s completely clueless at this point, so thrusting him into the memories now would certainly cause trauma, which will set us back.”

“Don’t worry, Dr. Jinn. He won’t have to stay in there for very long. Ten more minutes at max.”

The man, known as Dr. Qui-Gon Jinn, nodded with a hum. “As soon as he’s ready to be pulled out, get him out. He needs to know at least some reason why he’s here.”

“Of course, Doctor.” Qui-Gon’s assistant, a smart young woman by the name of Padmé Amidala, monitored the status of the Animus, raising the level of one input, presumably to speed up the process of waking the man they had gained as their test subject. Subject 17.

“Do you think we might be exposing him to too much too quickly,” Padmé asked once she was done adjusting variables on the Animus.

“Nonsense. He can handle it. We know what he is and what he is capable of. It’s simply time for him to expose himself for our use. Once we have the information we need, we’ll be done with him, and he can go on his way.” Qui-Gon glanced at the young man lying on the Animus’s table.

“He’s so young though. Just barely into adulthood.” Padmé also looked at the young man, knowing she wasn’t all that much older than him, but old enough.

“He’s 21, as his records say. His ancestors were doing amazing things at his age. Who’s to say he can’t do the same through the memories his ancestors had?”

Padmé sighed. “I guess you’re right, but I still think we grabbed him took soon. Perhaps we should have waited a couple years more. Then he would have been better to test on.”

“Mr. Skywalker is of a good age and good mentality to proceed with this project. We cannot wait any longer to work with him, Padmé.” Qui-Gon waved his hand to dismiss the subject and returned to his desk until the subject exited the Animus.

Performing such demanding tests on the subjects was something Padmé didn’t entirely enjoy. But money was money, and this job of being the Doctor’s assistant get her by through the year. She couldn’t complain much. She was getting decent money, even if she didn’t enjoy her job of digging though people’s minds to gather information. At least this way of doing it was more secretive than she originally thought it to be.

Sighing again, Padmé looked at Subject 17.

 

Subject Name: Anakin Skywalker

Age: 21

Height: 6’0”

Occupation: Self-Made Mechanic

 

The basic information ran through her head as she looked over him. He was rather handsome, his short hair a stunning mix of warm brown and dark gold. Well-built for a man who just worked on junky old cars all day. One long scar ran across his right eye down to his cheekbone. Two smaller scars, lesser noticed, made their home on his left cheek. His right arm was covered in tattoos, ranging in subject from exotic designs to mechanical circuits, even to one simple name. Shmi. It was written in a fancy but readable script that bloomed into a small desert flower at the end of the name. Padmé wondered if Anakin had come up with the design himself.

The Animus beeped rapidly for a few seconds, indicating that Anakin was coming out of his induced haze. Padmé hadn’t expected him to come out so soon, so she rushed to the control panel, reading the variables she was given by the machine.

“Doctor, he’s coming out much sooner than I anticipated. More violently too.”

Qui-Gon shot to his feet. “Make sure he doesn’t break that visor. We can’t afford to have something as costly as that happen.”

“Way ahead of you.” The visor of the Animus began to curve away from Anakin’s face, and just in time too, as he began to get twitchy and frustrated. “He’s going to come out any second. Prepare yourself, Doctor.”

Qui-Gon moved so he was as the foot of the Animus, eagerly awaiting Anakin’s arrival back to the modern world.

Anakin’s eyes snapped open with a short yelp. He stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds, blinking to discover some clue as to where he was now. He sat up quickly, his head spinning, eyes wide as they could be.

“Mr. Skywalker, relax please,” Qui-Gon said softly as he took a step forward. “You’re safe here. You’ve no need to⸺”

“Who the fuck are you guys?” Anakin swallowed, his unzipped jacket falling loosely off his shoulders, the tank top he wore underneath dirty and stained from his work in his shop. “Where am I?”

“Mr. Skywalker, please just calm down.” The old man moved around to the side of Anakin, placing his hands on the Animus. “Calm down, and we’ll tell you everything that we can.”

“No, tell me who you guys are now! Why the fuck did you take me from my shop? What do you want from me?” Anakin was clearly upset with being kidnapped, and he was growing more upset the longer he was denied answers. He was near hysterics, as was evident of him actually trying to _stand_ up on the Animus as he backed away from Qui-Gon.

“Anakin, you’re a person of interest to us,” Padmé said calmly.

“That’s right,” Qui-Gon continued. “You have something we want.”

“What the hell do you mean by that? I just own my own mechanic shop. You want me to show you how to change your oil?” Anakin gripped the edge of the Animus, intending to actually stand up and run, but Padmé gently put her hand on Anakin’s, halting his movement instantly as he looked at her.

Qui-Gon sighed as he took a couple steps back, knowing Anakin was feeling threatened by his presence. “You have something we want, but we can only access it by digging into your memories. Or rather, your genetic memories.”

“Genetic memories? What does that even mean?”

“In order to understand genetic memories, you must understand what memories are.” Qui-Gon clasped his hands behind his back. “So, do you know what a memory is?”

Anakin furrowed his eyebrows. “It’s a recollection of something that happened in the past.”

“Specific to the individual, yes. Genetic memories are quite similar in the way that they work. Genetic memories are the recollections of the past specific to your ancestors.”

“My ancestors? How do you even know that they would have memories that we could reflect on ourselves? Last I checked, our minds didn’t work like that.”

“You’d be right,” Padmé said. “But now we have the technology to go into your mind, into your DNA, and we can retrieve these memories through your DNA.”

“Okay, so let me get this straight. You can access my ancestor’s memories through my DNA?”

Padmé nodded with a smile. “Because your ancestor’s blood runs through your DNA. By using the Animus, we can access those memories your ancestor has.”

Anakin sighed. “I have so many more questions. Why do you even need to access my ancestor’s memories in the first place? What did they know that’s so important for you guys to know now?”

“That’s not of any importance to you right now,” Qui-Gon butted in before Padmé had a chance to respond. “All you need to worry about right now is getting into the Animus and accessing those memories for us.”

“And what if I don’t? Is that information important enough that you’d kill me if I refused?”

The old man narrowed his eyes at Anakin. “If I killed you, we wouldn’t be able to access those memories, now would we?”

Anakin kept his mouth shut at that statement. He looked away from Qui-Gon to calm his anger.

With high tension in the air, Padmé cleared her throat to speak once more. “We really need you, Anakin. You’ll be helping us a great deal, even if you don’t know what the reason is. Don’t worry, you’ll know in time. I promise.” She smiled at their subject to reassure him.

The young man sighed. “So, is there a specific ancestor you guys need the memories from? Or ae we just going blindly into this?”

“We do a specific ancestor in mind,” Padmé said with a nod. We’ll be diving into your ancient ancestor’s mind. Ra’id is his name. Heard that name in your family at all?”

Anakin shook his head. “Never heard it.”

“This will be a new journey for all three of us then. We may have to do several jumps in and out of the Animus, which will take a lot of your energy. We won’t keep you in for too long. We can’t risk having damage to the memories if you somehow get hurt by staying in the Animus for too long.”

Anakin nodded. “So, this Ra’id guy. Doesn’t sound so American. How far back in time did this guy live?”

“13th century.”

“Jesus Christ, what you want to know exists that far back in time? How the hell do you guys expect to get anything out of these memories? How in hell are they gonna be fresh enough for you to look into them?” Anakin sighed heavily and swung his legs over the edge of the Animus. “Look, I appreciate that you’re interested in my history, but frankly I’m not. I’m just a simple guy trying to make a living in this shit world. Just take me back to my shop, will you?”

Qui-Gon sighed and put his hands on his hips. “If you truly see this as a lost cause, Anakin, then you ae surely blind. The world is shit today because of what your ancestor did!”

Anakin’s sharp blue eyes locked back onto the old man. “Say that again, Doc? You’re saying my family is the cause of today’s problems? Because that’s an awful big pile of shit you’re talking up like a Thanksgiving feast.”

“I said your ancestor, not your entire family, Anakin. I know your family isn’t like this, including your mother.”

“Leave my mother out of this,” Anakin snarled, jumping off the Animus and pulling his fist back to punch the old man. “She was innocent! She had nothing to do with what happened to her!”

Qui-Gon shook his head. “It seems like you might need some reeducation on a few things. And some rest. Clearly your first time in the Animus has made you… difficult. We will pick up on your progress tomorrow after you’ve had some sleep.”

With those being his last words, Qui-Gon, turned his back on Anakin and headed back to his desk, his tall form hardly intimidating Anakin much.

Anakin huffed and shook his head. “Stupid old man… You never bring my mother into a conversation. Ever.”

Padmé swallowed hard, glancing between Doctor and Subject. “Anakin, perhaps a bit of rest would do you good. Your room is there on the right.” She pointed to the automated doors leading to his private room. “There’s a private bathroom in there too, so you can take a shower and get freshened up a bit before tomorrow.”

The young man followed her pointed finger, grimacing a little when he realized the “room” he was assigned looked and felt more like a prison cell. “Home sweet home…”

“Sorry, but we made it as nice for you as possible.”

“So, am I expected to wear my dirty work clothes the whole time I’m here?” Anakin pulled at the collar of his tank top, knowing its once white fabric was now stained with grease and oil.

“I’ll see about getting you a fresh outfit to wear. But no promises.” Padmé gestured towards the room once more. “Now go get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Anakin nodded. “See you in the morning I guess. At least tell me I get a free continental breakfast, right?”

Padmé chuckled. “You’ll be fed, I promise.”

The room Anakin was assigned was not as small as he had previously thought. That at least made him feel a little better about staying in the same building as who he assumed to be his captors. As soon as he was behind locked doors, he shed his jacket and tank top and began taking in his home for who knew how long.

There was a simple bed made for two people, but Anakin assumed he wasn’t going to be sharing his bed with anyone any time soon. A wardrobe housed all the towels he could ever need for his showers. That he was thankful. Using a dirty towel was never pleasant, whether dying after a shower or wiping off fluids from a car. The bathroom was plain. A sink, a toilet, and a shower filled the spacious room, the shower taking up a lot of the empty space. Anakin guessed that ten men could fit in that shower and still be comfortable.

Not much else filled his room, just a board of sorts above the bed and a few air vents in the bathroom to filter out the steam from the shower. Not a terrible place to live, but certainly not the best Anakin had ever experienced. His home apartment was better than this prison cell.

Exhausted and tired of trying to figure out why he was with these strange people, Anakin finished stripping out of his clothes and grabbed a couple towels and a wash rag. He took a long, hot shower, thankful for the steady stream of hot water. He had experienced far too many cold showers for his liking, so any hot shower was always a blessing.

Still, he preferred the cold showers in his small bathroom to the warm ones he got in the far too big bathroom he was provided with.

After the shower, Anakin wrapped himself in a towel and headed straight for bed. As soon as he hit the mattress, he groaned in comfort. It was probably the most comfortable bed he had ever laid in. Getting up in the morning was going to be quite hard.

Anakin didn’t bother with the covers. He was quick to fall asleep as the events of the day caught up to him. His arms hurt from the struggle of being kidnapped, and his mind hurt as it wrapped around the impossible concept of genetic memories. Why did his ancestor, Ra’id, have the information modern day people were searching for? What could have possibly happened way back in the 13th century that caused so much of an uprising? Anakin felt his mind might have exploded if he thought about it anymore before sleep took him for the night.

One thought did linger in his mind though. If Ra’id was such an important guy, why had he never heard of him before?


	2. Chapter 2

“Mr. Skywalker, wake up.”

Anakin groggily opened his eyes and grunted. The lights were so bight in his room. Did he forget to turn them off before he went to bed?

“And please for the love of God put your clothes back on. I’d rather not see you bare naked again before we start working.”

That made Anakin lower his eyebrows. For a blissful second he had forgotten where he was. Then everything came flooding back to him, and he sighed. He wasn’t back at home, and yes, he was completely naked. The towel he had worn to bed had slipped off, exposing him to the rather cold air in his prison cell.

Sighing, he got out of bed, watching Qui-Gon exit his room once the doctor knew for sure he was awake, then he moved to his pile of dirty clothes. It looked like he wasn’t getting a fresh outfit that day. Shame.

Anakin emerged from his room fully dressed and yawning. Qui-Gon and Padmé were already waiting by the Animus for him. He stopped in the doorway of his room, almost unwilling to take another step forward. He felt trapped here, why did he think doing these people’s bidding would get him free any sooner? It was a question to be asked at a later time. Anakin had to proceed with their project. He might die otherwise, and how honorable would it be to his assassin ancestor if he just died right then and there all because he didn’t want to do what someone asked of him?

So Anakin took that step forward, heading to the Animus to dive deep into his ancestor’s memories. He was going to be a part of history even now. No one had ever been able to access their ancestors’ memories, let alone even relive them.

“So, no clean clothes and no breakfast this morning I assume,” Anakin said once he was at the Animus.

“No, sorry,” Padmé apologized. “Tomorrow you will have those things though. It takes some persuading for you to get clean clothes and food unfortunately.”

“Well now I feel less like a prisoner and more like a slave.” Anakin tensed up at the feeling. He had known that feeling before. Human trafficking had once been his life, had once been his mother’s life. Had always been his mother’s life. She didn’t have the chance to experience anything other than the horrible life as a victim of human trafficking.

“You’re neither prisoner nor slave here, Mr. Skywalker,” Qui-Gon spoke up. “You’re to be praised here. After all, you’re becoming a huge part of history you can’t even begin to imagine how important it is.”

“I have a good guess,” Anakin countered, to which he got a frown from the doctor.

“Whenever you’re ready, Anakin, go ahead and lie down.” Padmé gestured to the Animus with a smile. False reassurance.

Anakin noted a hint of unwillingness in her voice, but he got into the Animus regardless. “I hope you guys know what you’re doing.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Mr. Skywalker. We’ve been perfecting this technology for years, of course we know what we’re doing.” Qui-Gon grabbed a clip board and walked back over to the Animus. “You are lying in one of the most high-tech pieces of equipment, and yet you question if we know what we’re doing.”

Anakin shrugged as he laid down, the visor coming over his eyes and coming to life with a display of DNA stands, presumably his own. He looked to the side, noting a strand that was greyed out. “What’s with that part?”

“That’s a locked memory,” Padmé explained. “We can’t unlock it quite yet because it was a traumatic memory for your ancestor. That memory is the one we need access to.”

“But if it’s locked, then you can’t get to it.”

“Exactly. Which is why we need to start further back in your ancestor’s memories.”

The DNA strand flew past Anakin’s eyes as Padmé moved it to a different part. It was quite a way back from the locked memory.

“Here should work just fine,” Padmé said with a pleased tone.

Anakin whistled low. “That’s really far back… are you sure we aren’t starting at, like, his birth?”

Qui-Gon chuckled. “Surely you must be joking. That amount of memories you just saw fly by is merely a blink of an eye in your ancestor’s life. We’re starting back as far as we need, and this is the perfect amount of time to start with.”

“Whatever you say, Doc. I just don’t want you to go through the whole guy’s life. It might be boring like mine is.” Anakin smirked. Qui-Gon lost his smile.

“We’re synching you up in 30 seconds,” Padmé announced as she worked with the control panel of the Animus.

Anakin swallowed heavily as he looked up at the DNA strand again. “Hey, I won’t die in this thing, will I?”

“Don’t worry, you won’t die,” Padmé said. “You may suffer some trauma, but that’s it.”

“Oh boy, trauma. What I always wanted for Christmas.” Anakin scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Seriously, just make sure I get out of this thing like I went in, okay? I still have a mechanic shop to run after you’re done playing my ancestor.”

“Oh, we’re not playing your ancestor.” Qui-Gon’s smile was back and wider than before. “You are.”

Anakin’s eyes widened, and then he was out.

White and red symbols flashed before his eyes before they cleared away to a simple endless room. Anakin felt like he was floating once more, between minds yet grounded in one body. An old body that was still quite young and flexible. The young man knew that whatever he was getting into, it was going to be an incredibly surprising journey.

He wasn’t quite sure he was ready yet.

Then the room fell away, and a great city began to render itself into existence before his eyes. Large domes, tall spires, homes made of clay walls and straw and brick roofs, all factors that were inputs for building the city of Baghdad, located in modern-day Iraq. After visuals came the sounds and smells, the light breeze and the warm sun coming soon after. It was so lifelike, Anakin had to do a double take of everything around him.

Anakin was no longer himself either. The shell of Anakin Skywalker was peeled away and was replaced by Ra’id, the assassin known to some as a dancer of the skies for his agility and grace given while he assassinated. In that moment, the essence of Anakin faded away completely, and Ra’id was all at once in existence once more.

As the city finished fully rendering, Ra’id took a deep breath of the familiar air and smiled. He was home, and though he still had a job yet to do, he simply enjoyed the peace that his home brought him.

He opened his eyes, brilliant blue speckled with gold. Baghdad, 13th century, year 1257. A lively time for the city, abuzz with traders and dealers, ready to sell their wares in trade for golden coins. Ra’id chuckled to himself. Foolish traders. They were so often targets of the Assassin Order. He had personally never taken one out, but he could take a guess that his next target might be one, considering the recent increase of traders in the city over the past couple months. He had his suspicions about most of them. A few looked very foreign.

With the sun shining bight overhead, Ra’id moved from his perch on a high tower, jumping down to a hay stack in a leap of faith. His landing was perfected after years of practice.

His white assassin robes flowed behind him as he maneuvered through the crowds on that hot and busy day. No target was given to him that day, so a bit of free running was enjoyed before he had to head back to headquarters. A quick meal was also to be enjoyed by the assassin. With what little money he had on his person, Ra’id bought a small lunch and headed to the local Assassin’s Bureau to eat in peace.

Ra’id leapt across buildings with his lunch in tow, easy jumping from roof to roof with a smile across his face. One could come to enjoy the secretive life of an assassin, and Ra’id was found to enjoy it to its fullest.

The familiar and welcome assassins emblem soon caught the eye of the young assassin, and he dropped down through the entrance to the bureau. He was already taking a bite of his food when he entered the main room of the building. The man working at the desk chuckled and rolled his eyes at Ra’id.

“Always coming in with food, aren’t you?”

“There’s not a problem with that, is there,” Ra’id asked through a full mouth.

“No, but your manners are terrible.”

“I’m an assassin. What do you expect from me? Full manners and a respect for everyone I come across? You’ve got to be mad if you’d assume all that from me.”

“Then stay silent when you have food in your mouth, and maybe I’ll consider dropping the rest of the manners spiel.”

Ra’id rolled his eyes as he took a seat and propped his feet up on the desk. “Just because you have a proper accent doesn’t mean you have to act proper all the time, Rex. I know better of you.”

Rex shrugged, leaning close to Ra’id’s boots and bushing them off gently. “I much rather prefer this life than the life I was given when I was a boy.”

“I would assume that to be true for you brother as well.”

“You’d be right to assume. Cody is still a bit rough around the edges, but he means well when he works. He’s a fantastic assassin.”

Ra’id nodded earnestly. “I’ve seen him work only once, but it was simply masterful. “I’d love to see him work again if I was given the chance.”

“You’ll have your chance. For now, you have to worry about another of the Order outdoing you.”

Ra’id looked skeptical. “There’s no one as good as I am. Master calls for me when he needs the job done cleanly and smoothly. I’m the best pupil he’s got.”

“You know there’s another who’s been rising up in the ranks. He’s older, but still just as good.” Rex gave Ra’id a knowing look. “Don’t pretend to deny it.”

“Look, the guy is new around here and doesn’t know all that much about how the assassinations go around here. Everyone in the Order knows their place, and he’ll soon learn his.”

“Yeah, right at the top with you,” the foreign assassin teased.

“ _Ayreh feek._ ”

“Oh, come now. No need for those foul words, is there?”

“Depends, are you gonna be nice?” Ra’id smirked as he stood back up, finished with his light lunch.

“Maybe. Are you?” Rex stood up straight and crossed his arms, his own smirk upon his lips.

“The new guy will learn his place. I won’t overwhelm him, I promise.”

Rex rolled his eyes. “Get out of here. The Master will be waiting for you. You slack off too much.” He moved his hands in a shooing motion to be rid of his friend.

“Your words wound me, _rafeeq_. So do your gestures. But I’ll leave as you want me to. You’ll be home tonight, right?”

“Yes, I’ll be there late. Eat without me.”

Ra’id nodded. “Safety and peace be upon you, Rex.”

“Upon you as well, Ra’id.”

 

-x-x-x-

 

Ra’id was leaned up against a wall on the outside of the assassin’s headquarters. He was silent, looking out into the cool night for his friend to return from the city. Inside the grand building, the others all ate and laughed with each other, word spreading of the new assassin to be joining their ranks soon. Ra’id cared very little for such talk. He knew he was the best assassin in the Order, and he didn’t need a newbie to show him up. Another top assassin wasn’t needed in the Order.

Crickets chirped softly as Ra’id continued to look out. Baghdad was a glittering cluster of lights in the distance, the hustle and bustle of the day bleeding into night in the restless city. It made Ra’id worry a little. The city’s leader was confident in his leadership, but Ra’id knew better than to assume that all was well. There was always something wrong, even if it was something small.

“Ra’id, quit looking for Rex.”

The young man turned just enough to catch a glimpse of who had called to him. He smiled when he saw his best friend. “Evening, Ahsoka.”

The girl smiled as she lowered his hood and stepped closer to Ra’id. “You should know better than to watch for Rex. He always comes back, you know that.”

“I know, but he’s late today. He’s always back by now.”

Ahsoka shrugged. “Could be caught up in traffic. You know how it is at night. So many night dwellers coming and going in the city.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” Ra’id looked up to the stars and sighed. “There’s been more activity at night over the past couple years. It’s been a slow change, but it’s too rapid for my liking. I can understand if this happens over a ten-year span, but not two.”

“You worry far too much. Come eat something, I’m sure you’ll feel better.”

The older assassin shrugged. “I’m not that hungry.”

“Your stomach betrays you, Ra’id.” Ahsoka smirked knowingly. “Come on. Come sit down and relax.”

With a sigh, Ra’id gave into his best friend. “Okay, I’ll eat something.” He rolled his eyes and smiled as he followed Ahsoka to a table piled with food.

“The top assassin has to keep his energy up somehow, and waiting for his friend to return from the city is not a good way to do so.” Ahsoka lowered Ra’id’s hood by tugging on the back of it gently.

“So you tell me every day.” Ra’id chuckled as Ahsoka’s hand grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his closer. Ra’id did the same to Ahsoka, and their foreheads touched in their familiar “handshake” they had performed ever since she had entered the Assassin Order as a child.

“I only tell you because I care.”

“Of course.” Ra’id moved away and grabbed a plate, intending to pile it high to satisfy his growling stomach.

Ahsoka shook her head. “Let me guess, another light lunch today?”

“Of course. I’m not as fast on a full stomach. Why do you think I eat a ton at dinner?” Ra’id gestured to his already full plate.

“You should learn to eat more at lunch and not skip breakfast. It’s a bad habit.”

Ra’id only grunted in response.

The two found a mostly empty table to sit at, another friend of theirs already there and eating. He looked up as the two sat across from him.

“Evening, Ra’id, Ahsoka.”

“Evening, Cody,” Ahsoka responded with a nod. “Have any fun assignments today?”

“Just more map making.”

“Thrilling,” Ra’id said through a mouthful of his food yet again.

Cody rolled his eyes. “You really need to work on your manners.”

“You’re starting to sound just like you brother.”

“He is my twin. I would worry if I started to not sound like him.” Cody took his wadded-up napkin and tossed it at Ra’id’s face. “Don’t talk with food in your mouth.”

“Seems everyone is hell-bent on telling me that today. Can I not eat in peace?”

“Nope, never,” Cody teased as he chuckled.

Ra’id swallowed his food and shook his head with a smile. “You guys make it impossible for me to enjoy life.”

“That’s a lie,” Ahsoka said. “We enhance your life greatly. You just don’t want to admit it.”

“Then that’s also a lie. I’ll admit you guys make my life interesting.”

“Someone write those words down,” Cody exclaimed. “He’ll never say them again!”

Both Cody and Ahsoka laughed as Ra’id sighed heavily. “You guys could afford to be less open, however. Too loud. You’ll get caught in the middle of a mission.”

“Ra’id would be correct, you know,” a voice said behind Cody. All three assassins looked up to see the Master, Yoda. The old man was wiser than the three combined, and they respected him greatly.

“Master,” all three chimed.

“Peace, my children. You all could learn to be a little nicer to each other.” He cracked a smile as he continued on his way to see all his assassins that night.

Ahsoka sighed. “Man, maybe we’re being a little too hard on the best assassin in the Order.” She rolled her eyes.

“Right,” Cody said, holding back a laugh. Looking at Ahsoka, he couldn’t hold it back any more, and neither could she. They bust into a fit of laughter with little signs of stopping any time soon, much to Ra’id’s annoyance.

After the late dinner, Rex still had not returned, and Ra’id was growing restless. He stood in the courtyard, staring up at the stars and simply listening. He heard very little. The noise of the city had died down and the crickets had quieted down as they went about their night business. In the distance, an eagle cried into the night.

Dressed for the night, Cody came up beside Ra’id and sighed. “Still no sign of him?”

“Nothing,” the other replied, keeping his eyes closed as he continued to listen.

“I think it’s safe to say I’m quite worried now. He usually does come home for dinner, and yet he’s not here.” Cody shifted uncomfortably.

A light breeze blew through Cody’s thick, dark hair and Ra’id’s long golden curls. When the breeze had left, Ra’id opened his eyes and looked towards Baghdad. His blue eyes sparkled in the moon light.

“Please,” Cody pleaded softly.

Ra’id nodded and adjusted his belt. “If I’m not back by morning, tell the Master of what has happened.”

“Bless you,” Cody bowed deeply, allowing himself to be pulled into the hug Ra’id offered. He hugged back tightly. “Safety and peace, Ra’id.”

No more words were exchanged between the two. Ra’id ran off towards the stable and grabbed his horse, riding off into the city in the moon light. Cody looked up and sighed.

A lone eagle followed Ra’id all the way into the city.


	3. Chapter 3

The Assassin’s Bureau was locked up, all lights blown out. Ra’id was crouched near the grate covering the entrance, looking out over the city. Rex was nowhere to be found. It would be impossible to find him, as it would take days to search the entire city. That kind of time was not to be had. Silently, Ra’id cursed himself for not checking with Rex before he went home.

The assassin stood up in the moonlight. Someone might see him if he stayed there too long. He had to move somewhere else. A different roof, down to the streets, or go back home, he had to go anywhere but where he currently was. It was too dangerous, especially if Rex had been kidnapped. The idea of such a thing happening hurt Ra’id, but there was nothing he could do about it now if that was the case. Eventually Cody had to be told of what might have happened, but until the cause of Rex’s disappearance was certain, Ra’id couldn’t stand to face him again. It would have been too painful to tell the man his brother might be missing, or worse, dead.

Ra’id looked out over the city with focused eyes. He took in every little detail he could before he moved to jump to the next roof. He did this for a while, looking around before leaping. At that point he was just leisurely jumping about, getting his mind off of things.

Then he caught some movement out of the corner of his eye. His head was quick to turn to the source. A good distance away, there was a figure dressed in attire similar to what assassins wore. Ra’id didn’t recognize then from the long distance.

The figure didn’t move, and neither did he for several minutes. Then the figure decided it was time to leave, and Ra’id took chase.

Building after building they jumped to and from, the figure surely trying to get rid of Ra’id, give him the slip. But Ra’id was named the dancer of the skies for nothing. Ra’id flew from every rooftop, getting ever closer to his target the longer their chase went on. He was an endurance runner for sure, and his target had not seemed to be. Only a few more minutes and then he would be caught up with his target.

The figure ahead of him slipped on the tiles of the roofs, letting out a panicked yelp. It was a man, Ra’id concluded after hearing the yelp. So this man, dressed in assassin clothes, was trying to escape him for whatever reason. Ra’id was determined to find out that reason.

He got close, so close. He reached out his hand, stretched far and⸺

The man in front of him suddenly whirled around and jumped down to the streets below. It threw of Ra’id so much that he missed the jump to the next building and fell to the ground. He landed unsteadily on his feet, hearing his ankles and knees crackle a little. He grunted loudly and stumbled a bit before taking chase once more.

Now it was just a foot race. Ra’id was not so well on the ground, but being an endurance runner did help some. He was barely breathing hard as he pushed though crowds. His target kept getting farther and farther away however, and it enraged the assassin. He wanted to press on, keep perusing, and that was exactly what he was going to do until he legs couldn’t take him any further. His legs and arms pumped harder to get closer.

The escaping man dodged crowds of people like they were nothing to him, mere ghosts in an empty street while Ra’id struggled to get past without drawing too much attention to himself. If he was to be any more successful, he was going to have to take a higher route.

He climbed up a pile of crates and leapt to a wooden ledge. More of those ledges were sticking out from buildings, and he used those to regain lost distance. He would easily be able to stop the running man in little time. Ra’id even let himself smile when the man looked over his shoulder to see if he was still being pursued. The smile was quickly lost when the man proceeded to run at the same pace and look all around.

Grey-blue eyes locked onto sky-blue, and the man ran faster.

Ra’id cursed loudly and jumped onto the roof to continue the pursuit that way. Ahead of the both of them was a long drop, one that even Ra’id had been afraid to try. It was simply too high for him to be comfortable taking a leap from. But at the pace the man was running at, it seemed he wasn’t going to stop any time soon.

Ra’id was surprised when the man climbed up to the roof once more, and suddenly it became a game of guts. It was no longer a chase. The man was side by side with Ra’id, challenging him to the jump he feared like some feared the power of God. It honestly enraged him, so Ra’id jumped up to a higher roof, running just along the edge so the man couldn’t follow him up to the higher roof.

The jump was getting closer, and Ra’id’s heart beat fast in his chest. He feared he wouldn’t make the jump, wouldn’t find the right landing place in time. But his fear was overridden by the need to catch the man who dared taunt him like this.

Ra’id looked ahead. He could see the end of the roofs now. He could see the man run even faster, so he ran faster himself. He calculated how many more steps he needed to take. One, two, three, four, five steps.

An eagle screamed overhead as both assassin and target took a leap of faith off the roof.

Time seemed to slow down as Ra’id looked over at the man, who had the same form down to the exact detail. The drop they were making was a good distance, the height of at least the tallest chapel, and both were pointed with heads down and arms outstretched. The wind whistled loudly in their ears. Soon they would have to flip to land in the hay below them. Ra’id picked his landing spot, and at the right distance he flipped to his back, as did the man beside him.

The hay came quickly, the landing very rough as they fell in. Both rolled out to lessen the amount of damage taken to their bodies, and before Ra’id had time to process that he had made the highest leap of faith ever, his target was off and running again. He couldn’t even follow, hurting a little from the landing and in shock that he made the landing. Ra’id didn’t have the strength to pursue anymore.

As the man ran away, Ra’id could hear him call out. “Have a little more faith next time!”

 

-x-x-x-

 

Dawn broke over Baghdad. It was a silent sunrise, the city at peace with the morning. Ra’id awoke to the sunlight on his face as he slept on the roof of the Assassin’s Bureau. The events of the night before replayed in his head as he woke. With Rex being gone and the man who he chased gone without a trace, there was little Ra’id could do in the city. He needed to go back to headquarters and get help on his next action.

Down in the streets, Ra’id’s horse whinnied out of hunger. One reason to actually get up and get going. Ra’id sighed and stood up, stretching to ease his muscles after the leap he made during the night. He made his way down to his horse and pet its nose fondly before mounting it.

“Let’s find us something to eat before we head home,” he spoke gently as he urged his horse on.

They made a short break by a food stand and grabbed breakfast before making their way out of the city. As they traveled at a moderate trot, Ra’id couldn’t stop thinking of the words the man had said to him.”

_“Have a little more faith next time!”_

The words bothered him. He always had faith in his leaps, so why did the man say those words? Had he known that Ra’id was scared of that jump? Did he know the exact reason why he was terrified of the jump?

Ra’id grunted. He hated the memory of what happened, but despite what had happened in the past, the man had gotten him to make the jump without thinking of his fear. His target had actually helped him. That was a change for the record books. Slightly enraged, Ra’id snapped the reigns to push his horse to a gallop. Whoever that man was knew things that he shouldn’t have known, and it was dangerous to have that information in the hands of someone who presumably wasn’t an assassin.

Soon the home of the assassins came into view. Ra’id knew Cody would be waiting for his brother, or at least news of what had happened to him, neither of which the twin would get. Good news was not to be had that day.

Cody was waiting by the front gates on his own horse, no doubt having been there since the wee hours of the morning. His face showed exhaustion when Ra’id was closer to inspect it. There was also a glimmer of hope in his eyes, hope that his brother had been found and was perfectly fine, but that hope soon died out when Cody made eye contact with Ra’id. The look of hope turned to sadness and pain.

Ra’id only rode past Cody to put his horse away, his own expression grim after not finding Rex.

Lunch that day was quiet among all members of the Order. Cody, Ahsoka, and Ra’id sat in silence, mourning the loss of their brother the most. Though it was still uncertain if Rex was simply kidnapped or was dead. The only thing certain that everyone knew was that Rex had to be found, dead or alive.

After lunch, Ra’id sought out Yoda, intending on mentioning the man who looked like an assassin from the night before. As far as Ra’id knew, the only assassins that existed were where he and the others resided.

The young assassin reached the master’s office and bowed as he entered. “Master…”

“Ra’id, come for a casual chat, have you?” The old master smiled at Ra’id, tapping his cane on the floor gently.

“Not today, I’m afraid.” Ra’id stood back up fully and looked at Yoda. “I have some concerns about what I saw last night in my search for Rex.”

“Oh? You didn’t find Rex, did you?”

“Unfortunately, no. But I saw a man near the Bureau when I was searching. It looked like he was wearing assassin robes, yet I had never seen him before.”

“An anonymous assassin, you say? Sounds exactly like what we are.”

“Master, please. I’m very concerned about this. What if the man killed Rex and took his robes?”

“Did the robes look like Rex’s?”

Ra’id paused, thinking back then shaking his head. “No, they didn’t…”

“Then you don’t know if the man is a threat or not. You should go investigate further, however. If this man is dressed in assassin robes, then he could be an ally to us. Find him, and bring him back here. I’m interested in meeting this ‘assassin’.”

Ra’id nodded. “Yes, Master. When will you have me start?”

“Immediately. We must know who this man is and if he knows anything about Rex.”

“I request to take Cody with me, so he can know everything that’s going on as well. I feel he has the right to know, especially if this all ties in with Rex’s disappearance.”

Yoda nodded. “You may take Cody. Both of you be careful. Safety and peace, Ra’id.”

Ra’id bowed once more. “To you as well, Master.” He left the old man’s office to seek out Cody. The two had an adventure and a mission on their hands, and Ra’id was determined to find Rex for Cody. He knew how distraught each twin could be without the other. It was like they were a part of each other. They had a bond closer than anyone else in the Order knew, so Ra’id knew he had to preserve it.

“Cody, get your horse ready,” Ra’id said to his fellow assassin once he had found him. “We’re going into town.”

“Why?” Cody had asked the question but he didn’t hesitate to follow Ra’id.

“We’re going to search for a man. He may be a key to finding Rex.”

Cody’s eyes lit up. “Then we must find him. He can’t escape the city.”

“He won’t. I have a feeling he knows things that he shouldn’t, and he wants to tell them to someone. That someone will be us, whether he likes it or not.” Ra’id glanced to the sky.

The memory of the giant leap of faith he made came back to him unwillingly.

The horses belonging to the two assassins were saddled up and ready to ride, nickering quietly as they waited for their riders. Cody was first to mount and ride off to Baghdad, Ra’id hesitating slightly before he mounted. His stomach flipped in anticipation and fear.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” he muttered to himself.

The thundering of hooves coming into Baghdad alerted those who were around to move out of the streets, lest they be trampled by the coming horses. Ra’id and Cody rode through the streets with haste. Reaching the Bureau was their top priority. If Rex was there, then relief would flood over the two, but if he wasn’t, then there was much searching to be done.

Upon reaching the Bureau, there was silence where should have been the sound of water trickling though the fountain. Cody and Ra’id glanced at each other, then they dismounted and climbed up to the entrance. It was still locked from the night before, to Ra’id disappointment.

As he did during the night, he looked around, this time searching for the man he had seen. So far, nothing but roofs and birds. It was almost as disheartening as the door to the Bureau being locked up.

“Hey,” Cody spoke up. “Is that you man to the west?”

Ra’id barely moved his hooded face to glance in the direction Cody had mentioned. There standing several blocks away was the man, in the same robes, standing motionless, waiting.

Ra’id turned to face the man, looking up so his hood no longer hid his eyes. “That’s him.”

The man took a step back from his position, though he made eye contact with Ra’id from such a far distance.

“I’ll stay here,” Cody said, patting Ra’id on the back to pursue the man.

Ra’id cracked his knuckles, took a few steps, then took off running across the roofs, the man turning and running too. Already their path was familiar to the one the night before, and Ra’id knew their end goal was to be the large leap of faith. But this time, Ra’id was going to keep pursuing after the land. He would show he was stronger.

Just as Ra’id had thought, they reached the ledge where they jumped from, side by side, and this time there was no hesitation from Ra’id. One, two, three, four, five steps they both took in unison, becoming airborne and soaring down to the hay below. They landed in unison, and when the mystery man emerged from the hay unharmed, so did Ra’id, running right beside him. The man was visibly surprised, but there was a hint of pride in his expression than Ra’id hated with a burning passion.

The chase continued through the streets among the people of Baghdad. The mystery man was much more agile than Ra’id was when it came to running through crowds, so Ra’id was not surprised when he started falling behind. However, surely he knew the streets better than the mystery man. All he had to do was follow from the rooftops and attack when he was close.

So once more Ra’id took to the skies, or rather the roofs. He watched the man closely, taking turns when the man did, and at last they came to a point where Ra’id was confident he could stop the man in his tracks.

Ra’id jumped down from above in a busy square of the city. He tackled the mystery man to the ground with a grunt, his hidden blade at the man’s neck. “Gotcha, you slick bastard…”

The mystery man struggled to escape, even with the blade at his throat, but eventually he stopped and simply looked up at Ra’id, breathing heavily after the long chase.

A crowd of people began forming around the two, and Ra’id stood back up, a tight grip on the man’s robes. “Come on, let’s go back to the horses,” he said calmly as he led the man away from the crowd. Once they were away from the many watching eyes, Ra’id pulled out a piece of rope from his belt and bound the man’s wrists together. “You can talk now or you can save everything for when we get back to headquarters.”

The man kept silent, hiding his face from the assassin who caught him. Ra’id could tell he was upset.

“Fine, stay silent, then. Don’t try to escape either, or I’ll slit you throat.”

Again the man stayed silent, letting himself be led by Ra’id back to the Bureau, and eventually back to headquarters where he would be questioned relentlessly.

 

-x-x-x-

 

“Anakin? Anakin, wake up.”

Dazed and confused, Anakin blinked as he stumbled back into reality. “What? What’s going on? What the hell was that I just saw?”

“Relax, Anakin, that was just the first memory we went through.” Padmé smiled at Anakin as he sat up and rubbed his neck. “You did well for your first trip into the Animus. But now you need to rest up.”

“Rest…Hold on a minute, what the hell is going on here? Why do you need to go through my memories? Why go this far back?”

“They’re not your memories,” Qui-Gon reminded. “And we need to go this far back to understand the full story of what we’re searching for.”

“Can you just tell me what the hell we’re looking for?”

“I’m afraid that’s out of the question right now, Mr. Skywalker. We need you to stay focused, and to do that you need to learn a few things later on.”

“Go on, Anakin, get some rest.” Padmé gestured to Anakin’s room.

Anakin sighed and shook his head. “Okay, fine. But I expect answers soon.”

“In time, Mr. Skywalker. Only in time…”


	4. Chapter 4

Anakin awoke to Qui-Gon starring at him over his bed. He started, surprised by the doctor’s presence. “Geez, Doc, what a wakeup call. Personal space is a thing you know.”

“I’m well aware. Get up, we have much work to do.” Qui-Gon sipped his coffee as he left the room.

Sighing, Anakin got out of the bed and rubbed his face. He had a headache, and he really didn’t want to go digging through his⸺ no. Ra’id’s memories. Nevertheless, he headed back to the Animus with several questions.

“So are you guys going to tell me what’s really going on here? Who are these assassins, and who’s the mystery guy Ra’id was chasing down? Is Rex dead or not?”

“So many questions,” Qui-Gon mumbled. “Just get in the Animus and you’ll get the answers you seek. We can’t give them to you except through the memories. We’re just as clueless as you.”

“So you just picked a random guy off the streets and decided that his ancestors were interesting enough to look at their memories through that guy? No real reason behind this? Because that’s a load of bullshit if I’ve ever heard one.” Anakin crossed his arms standing next to the Animus. He did not look amused.

Neither did Qui-Gon.

“Get in the Animus, Mr. Skywalker. This is much bigger than you can even possibly understand. It’s impossible for you to have a good idea of what’s going on right now.”

“But I’m so confused? What does Ra’id have to do with things you may or may not be doing today in the present? He lived so long ago, how can he even possibly be important to the present?”

“Get in the damned Animus!”

Anakin fell silent, glaring at Qui-Gon. But he did as he was told and got into the Animus, Padmé watching him nervously. He laid down, and the visor came over his eyes once more, plunging him deep into Ra’id’s memories.

 

-x-x-x-

 

“Has he said anything yet?’

Ra’id shook his head as he looked down at the mystery man tied down to a chair. “Not a word. He hasn’t shown any signs of attention to the person speaking to him.”

Ahsoka hummed in thought. “Odd... I’ve never seen him before, so surely he doesn’t have anything to hide from us. That is unless the Master has seen him before.”

“Speaking of the Master, where is Yoda?”

“In the library. He was asked not to be disturbed.”

Ra’id huffed. “Well he’s going to get disturbed now. I can’t wait any longer.” He turned on his heels to head to the library, Ahsoka close on his heels.

“W-wait! No one has ever interrupted him before! You don’t want to get him mad, do you?”

“In this situation, it doesn’t matter. He needs to see this man now. The man wears assassin robes, and yet we have never seen him before. We need to make sure he doesn’t have anything to do with Rex’s disappearance.”

Ra’id and Ahsoka reached the doors to the library, and the older assassin flung them open, walking in with a purpose towards the Master. “We have a problem, and we need your help with it Master.”

Yoda was sitting in meditation when Ra’id burst in. His meditation was disrupted, but he did not appear to be upset by it. “Does this concern the mystery man?”

“Yes, it does, Master. He hasn’t said a word since I caught him. He’s refusing to talk.”

“Refusing? Or not understanding?”

Ra’id blinked, his hard expression softening. “I don’t think I understand what you mean…”

“Does the mystery man understand what you are saying or not?”

“Do you mean… if he doesn’t speak our language?”

Yoda nodded, getting up from his meditation mat and walking out the door. “Come, we will see if he speaks other languages. You are fluent in English, yes?”

Ra’id nodded. “Partially. I can say what I need to say.”

“Good, we will try to speak to him in English rather than our native tongue. He may understand better. I caught a glimpse of him, and he does not look like he is from around here. His skin is too light.”

Ra’id flushed a little. He hadn’t thought of speaking in another language to the mystery man. “Are you wanting to talk to him first, Master?”

“No, I want you to do all the talking. He seems to know you better, after all.” Yoda smiled up at Ra’id.

Ra’id nodded. “Yes, Master…but you will back me up if I struggle, won’t you?”

“Yes, I will. But I have faith in you. You can speak to him just fine.”

Ra’id, Ahsoka, and Yoda all stood in front of the mystery man. Ra’id swallowed, nervous to speak English. It had been a good couple of months since he last had a lesson. Still, he had to speak his best and not sound stupid doing so.

Taking a deep breath, Ra’id opened his mouth to speak the foreign language. “Can you understand me?” He inwardly grimaced. His accent was way too heavy.

To his surprise however, the man looked up with as much surprise as he was in.

“You speak English?” The man spoke English far better than Ra’id could, and he felt like he was being put to shame.

“A little. Who are you?”

The man sat up straight, his hood falling back to reveal copper hair and an equally copper beard. His skin was a light as paper, dotted with several freckles of previous burns from the sun. his eyes sparkled bluer than Ra’id originally thought.

“My name is Ben… or at least my cover up name is.”

“Your…cover up name?” Ra’id tried to comprehend what Ben was saying.

“Ben isn’t my real name,” the captive man said.

“Then what is your real name?”

Ben shifted as much as he could. “I’d rather not say. I’m a wanted man.”

Ra’id raised an eyebrow. “Wanted for what?”

“I… well, I’m considered a traitor where I come from.”

“You wear the assassin robes. Why?”

“I’m an assassin, of course. Why else would I be wearing them?”

“You killed another assassin,” Ra’id said flatly.

Ben blinked. “No, I’ve never killed another assassin. I wouldn’t ever.”

Ra’id looked to Yoda, continuing to speak in English. “I thought we were the only assassins. Are there more?”

“It is possible,” Yoda said with a nod. “Where are you from, Ben?”

“The England faction. We are assassins who follow the creed as deeply as you do here.” Ben smiled. “I have learned about you through unfortunate events. I came here to find your Bureau, but when I found it, it was locked up tight, much earlier than the ones in England ever are.”

Ra’id looked to the ground. “The Bureau in Baghdad is closed until we find the assassin who usually runs it. He has gone missing.”

“That would explain it.” Ben nodded. “I suppose now is a good time to tell you why I’m here, then.”

Yoda nodded. “Yes. Do tell why you have traveled so far to meet with us.”

Ben swallowed. “I’ve come with a warning. I am alone in binging this warning to you, so you have to trust me.”

Ra’id stepped forward, hands tight in fists. “What sort of waning is this?”

“Caliph Al-Musta’sim has failed to cooperate with Mongol forces. Baghdad will be attacked soon.”

Ra’id and Yoda both suddenly looked very alarmed. Ra’id was so startled he switched back to his native tongue. “The Mongols will be attacking?!”

“What,” Ahsoka exclaimed. “Are you joking?!”

“How did you find out about this,” Ra’id asked Ben, once more speaking in English.

“My brothers back home… they are in support of this attack. I was the only one against it, and I was then marked as a traitor. I fled as fast as I could, learning about your Assassin Order along the way. When I finally arrived in the city, I sought out the Bureau as fast as I could, only to find it locked both times I went to visit.”

Ben shook his head. “The leader of this attack, Hulagu Khan, he has spies set up all over the city. I’ve seen them. They disguise themselves as merchants, traders. They pick their targets silently and get rid of them by week’s end.”

Ra’id swallowed. “That might be what happened to Rex…”

“I’m sorry? Who’s Rex?”

“Rex is my friend,” Ra’id explained. “He disappeared that night you and I saw each other for the first time.”

“I see. I’m sorry for your loss. I hope to God that he is still alive somewhere.”

Yoda hummed a little. “You seem to know more about this situation than we do. You would care to help us track down our missing assassin and stop this attack?”

Ben nodded. “I would be honored to help the original assassins.” He bowed as best as he could being tied up to the chair.

Ra’id nodded and extended his hidden blade, cutting free their new ally. “I’m Ra’id,” he said as he offered his hand to Ben.

Ben took his hand and stood up. “Unfortunate that the circumstances are bad in which we meet, Ra’id. And I’m terribly sorry, but I do not speak your tongue. I only speak English.”

“You’re lucky I’m fluent in it.” Ra’id put his hand on Ben’s shoulder and patted it. “Or mostly anyways. I can get my point across.”

“Indeed you can, my friend.”

Ahsoka moved in front of Ra’id and Ben and put her hands on her hips. “Hello? There’s going to be an attack? Aren’t you going to give us any more details?!”

Ben tilted his head to the side, then looked at Ra’id. “I don’t understand what she’s saying…”

Shaking his head, Ra’id put a hand on Ahsoka’s shoulder. “Enough, Snips,” he spoke to the girl in their native tongue. “We don’t have much more information, okay? Let’s be nice to our guest.”

“But what if he’s a spy? What if he’s leading the attack right to us?!”

“Snips!” Ra’id’s voice was stern and cold. It made Ahsoka flinch. “I said that’s enough.”

The younger assassin bowed in respect to her elder assassin, the one who was expected to take over Yoda’s position when the old man passed. “I’m sorry, Master… It wasn’t in my place to question why this man is here.”

“Get ready for dinner. We will eat soon.”

“Yes, Master.” Ahsoka turned with her hood up and posture diminished as she walked off.

“Sorry about that,” Ra’id apologized to Ben in English. “She means well, but she’s young and still learning a lot.”

“It’s alright. She’s young. It’s understandable that she questions things.” Ben smiled and gestured for Ra’id to continue on his way.

Ben was led to Ra’id’s room in which he stayed in at headquarters. “You’ll be staying with me so I can keep an eye on you. We can’t be too lenient with you quite yet.”

“Understandable. I did just show up in your city without warning.” Ben chuckled.

“You’ll put your stuff on that half of the room.” Ra’id pointed to the side of the room that didn’t have his bed. “I have plenty of pillows for you to sleep on.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that.”

“I’d offer my bed to you, since I’m usually sleeping somewhere else most of the time, but I have a particular way I sleep in my bed and I don’t want anything messed up.” Ra’id kicked his boots off and tossed his gloves onto the floor next to them.

“I haven’t had the luxury of sleeping in a bed since I left my home. I’m more than fine with sleeping on the floor.” Ben slipped down to the floor, choosing to pull off his boots rather than kick them off. “The floor is pretty comfortable after you’ve slept on it for a month or two.”

Ra’id hummed in thought as he sat on his bed. “So your brothers up north…they didn’t see it necessary to stop this attack from the Mongols? Why?”

A heavy sigh came from the redhead as he looked out the window to sky. “I couldn’t tell you to be honest. The issue of the attack was brought up, and everyone but me thought it was a good idea to attack. I spoke up and said that we didn’t need this violence, that we were striving to bring peace to the world. But as soon as I brought up peace, everyone turned against me and drove me out.”

Ra’id shook his head. “It sickens me how quickly men can turn against each other. Thankfully you escaped to come warn us.”

“I wish I could tell you the exact date that the attack is going to happen, but unfortunately I was kicked out before I had the chance to gain that information.” Ben stroked his beard in thought. “However, we might be able to access information from spies within the city. A blade to the throat is an excellent motivator.”

Ra’id nodded. “We will talk to Yoda in the morning. For now, just rest. You’ve had a long journey, and you’ve been treated as a suspect up until now. I’m sure you haven’t had a good meal in a while.”

“You’d be correct.” As if to add to his statement, Ben’s stomach growled loudly. He tried to silence it by wrapping his arms around himself.

Ra’id chuckled. “Don’t worry, we’ll feed you here. You’re a brother to us now, so you get all that we get. “

“Thank you so much, Ra’id. It means a lot to me.”

The taller man stood back up and padded over to his closet, pulling out a set of lounging tunics and pants. He tossed them to Ben. “Here, put these on. I won’t force you to wear your assassin robes any more today. I’ll have them washed for you.”

“O-oh. Thank you… That’s very kind.” Ben unfolded the tunic and pants. They looked to be a little big, but at least they were clean and comfortable.

He began stripping, not caring if Ra’id watched. Both were used to undressing in front of other assassins, so it was hardly ever thought if the other assassin would care. Usually, they didn’t. Once he was stripped of his assassin robes, which were made of higher quality material than Ra’id’s, he handed then to the taller assassin, then he slipped into the lounge clothes. As he has suspected, they were rather big on him, but then again Ra’id was a big man. Ben was small compared to the other assassin.

“Your robes will be clean by morning,” Ra’id said as he folded them up neatly. “We’ll also give you something to add that will identify you as one of us and not as a threat.”

“Thank you.” Ben grabbed his belt and put it on over the new outfit he was wearing. “So, dinner time, right?”

Ra’id chuckled. “Right.”


	5. Chapter 5

Dawn broke over the city, waking all assassins in the early morning light. Typically those who stayed at headquarters went through a morning routine of getting dressed for the day, eating breakfast, and having a bit of meditation before they took on the day’s missions. However, with the arrival of Ben to the building, there were some who sacrificed their morning routines to catch a glimpse of the new assassin. Ahsoka specifically was curious. Though she couldn’t speak a word of English, she knew her elder assassin would help her. After all, Ra’id was charged with teaching the young assassin as he was to take over the Order when the time came.

The young girl knocked on the door to Ra’id’s room, hoping he was awake already. She hated it when she woke him up. He was always so grumpy.

Thankfully, when Ra’id opened the door, he was dressed and looking ready for the day. Ahsoka let out a breath and smiled. “Good morning, Master.”

Ra’id sighed. “You know you don’t have to call me that, Snips…”

“Okay, so you want me to call you by the nick name I gave you? Because you keep using the one you gave me.” She smirked.

“You call me Skyguy only when we’re on a mission together.”

“So you should only call me Snip on missions, then?”

The man rolled his eyes with a smile. “Alight fine. You can call me Skyguy anytime. Just don’t make it a habit.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll still call you Master when we talk with Yoda.” Ahsoka looked around Ra’id glimpsing Ben still dressing himself.

Ra’id noticed her attention switching, and he looked back at Ben as well.

Ben only had his pants and boots on, his torso exposed and well speckled with freckles, evidence of too much time in the sun. He was just about to pull his shirt on when he felt the two pairs of eyes on him, and he looked at the other two. “I’m sorry… am I being a distraction?”

“No, not at all,” Ra’id replied. “Finish dressing and we’ll go get your robes. They should be ready for you by now.”

Ben nodded. “I do appreciate having them washed. I doubt they’ve had a wash in a good while. Hell, they might not have really been white in a while.”

The two men chuckled. “They’ll see white once more,” Ra’id said with a smile. “Come. Let’s get you properly dressed.”

Together, the three headed to the washroom, where Ben’s robes were hanging to dry, or at least they had been. They were completely dry and hanging with pride in the place they had been left the night before. Ben placed a hand to his heart with a small gasp as he looked upon his assassin robes, now clean and a sharp white, along with a new shoulder pad that was fastened over the chest. There was an engraving of the assassin logo on the shoulder pad.

“Ra’id… I’ve never seen it so white.” Ben reached out to touch his robes, in complete awe that his own robes could ever look so elegant again.

“I’ll take that as thanks. You’re welcome.” The taller man chuckled and gestured to the robes. “Change and meet us in the dining room.”

“Yes, Sir.” Ben said with a smirk, turning to his robes with a fond look.

“Come on, Snips,” Ra’id commanded his apprentice in their native tongue. “Let’s go reserve some seats for us. We want to make sure our new friend has a place at the table with us.”

“Yes, Master.” The young girl followed her elder obediently, but she couldn’t help but sneak a look back at the light-skinned assassin. He was well built, she noticed before he went out of sight to change.

The dining hall was already filling up with assassins when Ra’id and Ahsoka arrived. They would have gone right to their usual spot for breakfast, but seeing as they had to make room for a third person, they went off in search of a new spot. Eventually they found a good spot, one where Ra’id would be sitting across from Ahsoka and Ben. Ahsoka wasn’t too fond of the idea, but she trusted her elder, so she would sit next to the new man.

News had gotten around that Ben was an assassin from a different area of the world, and questions were flying as the assassins waited for food.

And then the man in question entered the room, silencing many of the questions as talk was replaced with sight. Ben walked in elegantly, his robes flowing gently behind him with the early morning light lighting up his fiery copper hair. Ra’id felt himself hold his breath.

_Anakin felt it too._

Ben paused before he sat down, looking around the room as whispers and quiet conversations picked up once more. “Well, how do I look? Do I fit in yet?”

“Not a bit,” Ra’id said, smirking. “You’re too pale.”

“Hilarious. How long until breakfast?” Ben sat down next to Ahsoka, folding his arms on the table.

“Not long,” Ra’id replied. “Master Yoda should be out soon. He always goes first, and then we follow.”

“We? As in us specifically?”

“No, all the other assassins, though Yoda has had me join him a couple of times, since the grand master always goes first, and, well… I’m going to be the next grand master.”

“Are you, now? Sounds like we have more in common than we realize.” Ben sighed heavily.

“…What do you mean?”

“Well, I was to take over back in the England faction. But once I was seen as a traitor, I obviously lost that opportunity.” Ben shrugged. “I knew I was going to lose it, but it still didn’t hit me until I was well away from home.”

Ra’id shook his head. “Disappointing. I would have expected better from our own brothers, honestly.”

“Me too. But sometimes those who are closest to us are the ones who will betray us the easiest. It’s sad that it works out that way though.” The memory of being kicked out of the England faction ran fresh in Ben’s mind.

“Like the story of Cain and Able,” Ra’id muttered.

Ben nodded. “Exactly like that.”

Before the conversation could go any further, there was a small tinkling of a spoon hitting a cup, signifying that Yoda had arrived. The old man smiled out over his many assassins. “Good morning, my sons,” he began, not in English. “Let us thank those above us before we start our day.”

Most of the assassins began speaking a string of prayers, along with Yoda, filling the large room with soft echoes. The only one who didn’t speak any prayers or bow their heads were Ben, Ahsoka and Ra’id. Ben did not because of the language barrier that was between him and the other assassins. But he was curious as to why Ra’id, the future master of the Assassin Order, was not following what the current master was doing.

Ben looked at Ra’id, who was watching Yoda instead of praying. He reached out gently to tap Ra’id wrist, grabbing the man’s attention and gesturing towards Yoda with a questioning look.

Ra’id nodded and held up one finger, telling Ben to wait until the prayer was over for him to explain.

Eventually, the prayer was over, and Ben and Ra’id could once again talk.

“Apologies,” Ra’id started. “I forgot to mention we pray before our morning meal. No one is forced to, of course, but I apologize for not warning you.”

Ben waved his hand. “Not a problem. I’m not typically a praying man, but maybe I need the spiritual guidance you god has to offer.”

Ra’id smiled as Yoda made his way up to the banquet of food set before the assassins. He glanced at the old man before looking back at Ben. “Looks like food is served. Ready to eat?”

“I’ve been ready to eat since I woke up this morning,” Ben replied with a laugh.

“Well, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve got plenty of food to go around. Help yourself to as much as you like. You look thin anyways.”

Ben blinked, looking down at his (admittedly, yes) thin frame. He simply sighed and focused on the wonderful smell that filled the great hall.

 

-x-x-x-

 

The sun was hot that day. The hoods of the assassin robes provided a little shelter from the sun, but they did little to keep the assassins cool. Only staying indoors and drinking lots of water would provide that kind of relief.

Ra’id took a long drink of water as he looked out at the busy streets of the city. He, along with Ben, Cody, and Ahsoka, all had been assigned to look out for any abnormal activity that may be clues to the coming attack. Though it was odd to be working with a man from a land so far away, all four assassins keeping watch found it extremely easy to work with each other, one looking in each direction, sharp eagle eyes watching, waiting.

Very little was actually happening, so naturally, the watching got boring very quickly. Ahsoka gave up first, having the least amount of patience while the sun beat down on her back. Her darker skin did protect her more from the sun than the others, but she still got hot very fast, and she soon sought shelter from the intense heat, abandoning her post in favor of water and cooler temperatures.

Ra’id watched as the girl left her post, and he couldn’t blame her. He was burning up in the sun, but he had more endurance than Ahsoka. He could last a good couple hours longer than she could. However, the temptation of shade was strong, and the man almost found himself giving in several times.

Overhead, a stray cloud blotted out the sun for a moment. Ra’id sighed and stood from his crouched position. It was nearly lunch time, and nothing had happened yet. Ra’id was starting to think nothing was going to happen.

Across the rooftops of the buildings, Cody and Ben saw the younger assassin stand, and they too stood in acknowledgement that it was time for a break. If there was no activity before midday, chances were that there wasn’t going to be activity for a good while. So the assassins left their perches in favor of some shade and water. They met back at the bureau, which Cody had promptly been put in charge of in his brother’s absence.

“I wish my warnings could have been more useful for the brotherhood,” Ben sighed as he dropped down into the bureau. “But I know what I head back in England.”

“No one said they doubted you,” Ra’id said. “Having no activity in the city is either comforting or alarming. We have yet to find out which unfortunately.”

“I know. I just… I wish that I could have solid proof that this attack is going to happen.”

Cody moved past the two speaking to each other, pulling out the map of the city and sitting it on the desk just inside the bureau. He looked up at Ahsoka as she dropped in and said something to her in Arabic. Ra’id moved so she could get past and reply to Cody.

Ben sighed as he watched the other two. “I wish I could communicate with you better. I’m afraid I never learned your language when I was taking my studies as a child.”

“We can work on it,” Ra’id said. “I can teach you the basics to start with. Like _marhaba_ is ‘Hello’. _Sabah el kheir_ is ‘Good morning.’ Can you handle those?”

Ben furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. “ _Marhaba. Sabah el kheir_ ,” he repeated with a very heavy English accent.

Ra’id chuckled. “ _Jayed_. Not bad for a beginner. Your pronunciations can be worked on, but good.”

Ben smiled at Ra’id. “I was usually a quick learner as a child. Good to know that has stayed with me as an adult.”

The taller man shrugged. “Quick learning does not always mean good learning. The Master taught me to be patient, to learn at a pace that suits me, but to also be quick on my feet. Take in as much as you can, then learn from what you know.”

“You two talk to much,” Cody spoke up with a smirk, Ahsoka containing her laughter beside him.

“ _Tozz feek_ ,” Ra’id snapped with a smirk. A whole string of playful insults went on between Ra’id, Ahsoka, and Cody, leaving Ben in awkward silence while the others talked.

A few hours passed by quickly, and when the four assassins had finally felt rested up, they left the bureau to return to their posts. Cody locked up the bureau after they all were out and back to leaping across buildings in search of any sort of activity that might give them so fun during the otherwise boring day. For the most part, the rest of the day was going to be just like the first part. Quiet, hot, boring. All four would have been just fine with that, had there not been an impending threat looming on the horizon. Rather than feeling relaxed or even bored, they were on edge. Anything could go wrong at any moment, and the whole city would descend into chaos.

It was about mid afternoon before Cody made his way over to Ra’id. Ra’id first was alerted to Cody’s approach by the other man’s grunts as he jumped between buildings. When Cody finally crouched next to him, both remained silent for a time, watching as they had been all day.

Finally, Cody broke the silence. “I worry for Rex. He still hasn’t returned to us, and we’ve done very little to search for him. Why don’t we go off and find him, just you and I?”

Ra’id sighed, looking at Cody with his soft blue eyes. “I wish more than anything to go and find your brother. Whether we find him dead or alive, I’d still like the satisfaction of finding him as much as you would.”

“Then why don’t we go? We can let Ahsoka and Ben take care of the watch while we search for Rex.”

“You know we can’t do that. We don’t leave our fellow assassins to do the work we were assigned to do.”

Cody sighed, sitting back on his butt and adjusting his hood over his head. “If I need to go off by myself, I will…”

“You will do no such thing.” Ra’id shook his head and also sat back on his butt. “Listen, I know this is hard. It’s hard for everyone, but it’s harder for you because this is your twin brother who is missing. Going off and finding him is an action most would take in this situation.”

The blond paused for a bit. “You have a younger brother, live in the area, correct?”

Cody blinked. “Yeah, why?”

“Take a horse and ride to him. Bring him to us tonight.”

“Are… you wanting him to become an assassin? Because I’m not so sure he’s ready for that.”

Ra’id looked Cody in the eyes. “Bring him, and you will see the plans I have for him. Trust me.”

“I do,” Cody replied with a nod. “I just don’t want him to get hurt or lost like Rex…”

“He won’t, I promise.” Ra’id looked back out over the city, taking a deep breath. “Your younger brother has a fire in him that I believe will help us to find Rex. If we play our moves right, we may just figure out who is responsible for his disappearance.”

Cody nodded again, his hood hiding the worry on his face.

Ra’id reached over and put his hand on Cody’s shoulder. “We’ll find him… we have to.”

“Failure isn’t an option,” Cody muttered. “If we fail, and I lose both my brothers out of this, I’m fully blaming you for tearing my family away from me.”

Silence followed Cody’s statement, and as much as Ra’id knew it was Cody making an effort to cheer himself up, he also knew that Cody would hold a huge grudge against Ra’id if both Rex and the younger brother were hurt, or worse, killed.

“Go.” Ra’id’s word was short and commanding.

With that, Cody stood up and jumped down of the building. A few seconds later, a horse’s hooves could be heard thundering off towards the edge of the city.

The day soon drew to a close with no abnormal activity in the streets. Ra’id, Ben, and Ahsoka returned home for the night, reporting what they saw and then having dinner with the other assassins. Ra’id however went up to Yoda’s study with his food, wanting to tell the old man of his plans for Cody’s younger brother.

Yoda sat at his desk, reading over some old scrolls, waiting for Ra’id to be seated across from him as if he knew what the younger man’s intentions were. As soon as Ra’id was in his seat, Yoda looked up. “What news do you bring?”

“I sent Cody to fetch his younger brother,” the young assassin started. “They both should be here tonight. I think both can help greatly in finding their brother.”

“In what ways?”

“Cody knows Rex better than anyone, and his brother is the next person who knows him best. If they work together, I think they have a greater chance of finding Rex if they happen to not be around any other assassins.”

“So you wish to make Cody’s younger brother an assassin as well?”

“For a short while, yes.”

Yoda sighed. “You know we don’t accept assassins who haven’t had the proper training. Cody’s brother is not a trained assassin.”

“We will train him quickly. He won’t get full training, yes, but he’ll have enough to help us out.” Ra’id set his plate down and leaned forward. “Trust me, Master… I have a plan in mind.”

There was silence while Yoda thought, but eventually he sighed again and nodded. “Alright. Train the man well, but remember to keep watch for any activity in the city. I will be watching as well.”

Ra’id bowed his head. “Thank you Master.”

“Enjoy tonight. I have a mission for you and Ben in the morning.” Yoda gestured that Ra’id was allowed to leave, and the young man did so, eating his food as he went on his way.

Later that night, when everyone had settled in for the night except for Ra’id, Cody finally returned on horseback with his younger brother. The brother, though older than Ra’id by a few years, dismounted his own horse and bowed respectfully in front of Ra’id. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

Ra’id nodded. “I know of your true name, though I’ve heard you do not go by that name. What should I call you?”

The man smiled. “Just call me Fives.”


End file.
